CA1 ACADEMIC ESSAY EDUCATION STUDIES

EDUCATION STUDIES CA 1:
ACADEMIC ESSAY

MY PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION AND ITS APPLICATION TO

TECHNICAL TEACHING

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Lecturer: Dr Pauline Logue

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CA1 ACADEMIC ESSAY EDUCATION STUDIES

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Programme: BSc in Ed. (Hons) (Design, Graphics and Construction)
Year: 3
Module: Education Studies
Assignment Title: CA1 Academic Essay
Due Date: 21st October 2018

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Date: 27 October 2020
CA1 ACADEMIC ESSAY EDUCATION STUDIES

Introduction
The topic of this essay is ‘My Personal Philosophy of Education and it’s Application
to Technical Teaching’. I believe this to be an important area of study as someone
about to enter a profession in teaching because it allows me to expand my own net of
knowledge and may simultaneously make it easier for me to throw that net into a sea
of students. Through the learning of new teaching methods, we are more equipped to
adapt to different students’ learning styles. Nel Noddings (2016) defines philosophy
of education simply as “Philosophy of education is the philosophical study of
education and its problems.” This may be a bit vague, so we split the term up to find
something more definitive. The Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines
‘philosophy’ as “the use of reason in understanding such things as…the use and limits
of knowledge and the principals that govern and influence moral judgement”.
Applying that to education, we see that it is the search for understanding the moral use
of education and its limits. It is the goals set, the reason for those goals and the
method of their obtention. (Noddings, 1995)

Every teacher may have a different philosophy of education, which is good. Their
philosophy of education gives us a view of how they will approach teaching and what
they see as valuable in education. It is especially important in a technical classroom
where students tend to be able to roam freely around the classroom, use machinery
and be open to more dangers than a typical academically leaning classroom. The
differences between a technical classroom and an academic one are many and this
may affect a teacher’s philosophy of education. A technical classroom is one where
the subject involved is devoted to practical study, in our case Graphics, D.C.G, Wood
Technology and Construction Studies, or more broadly, subjects that are workforce-
related [ CITATION Col20 \l 6153 ].

Since these classrooms are workforce related it is possible that students’s parents may
be working in the field. This could mean that students already have knowledge and
skills that would help their learning.

The main aim of this essay is to outline my personal philosophy of education and
examine its application to technical teaching.
CA1 ACADEMIC ESSAY EDUCATION STUDIES

The research methodology used throughout this essay is secondary research. The list
of references that I have used can be found at the end of this essay in the list of
references section.

The essay will firstly focus on why education is necessary, from its perception in
society to what is hoped to be achieved by delivering it. After this I will dive into
psychologists of education by discussing their theories and applying them to the
technical classroom.

To conclude the essay, my own personal philosophy of education will be developed.

Philosophy of Education

Learning is no new concept; it predates history to when a father caveman taught his
son what a mammoth’s weakness was. Learning has enabled us to survive and grow
as a species, but it was education that allowed us to thrive into civilisation and
become the world we know today. Perhaps the earliest form of education came in the
style of storytelling. Research showing the opinions of 53 pre-service teachers
revealed the following:

Regarding the advantages and disadvantages of using of storytelling to

develop the critical reading skill, 10 pre-service teachers claimed that this
method would develop the primary school students’ skills to have different
viewpoints on the events while 7 of the pre-service teachers in the study
argued that this method would develop their skills of expressing
themselves and defending own opinions as improving their self-confidence.
[ CITATION Dil11 \l 6153 ]

Storytelling is something that has been core to Irish tradition for a very long time. The
old would gather the young and tell their stories of bravery, beasts, battles and
bereavement. In telling these stories they passed on their knowledge of the land and
its history, vital information that the new generation needed to know, told in a way
that allowed them to learn without even knowing it. Even today we can see the
remnants of their knowledge through the places they have named. For example, over
CA1 ACADEMIC ESSAY EDUCATION STUDIES

in Bloody Foreland (Cnoc Fola) we can expect to see some red rocks. In An
Tearmann we know that someone had sanctuary there, for that is what the place is
named after. Even the hill next to my home is called Tanderagee, coming from the
Irish for Back To The Wind. Thanks to the knowledge of men gone by, I now know to
bring a jacket if ever I walk that hill.

Storytelling can be very personal and bring a touch of humanity to the classroom
when used. Stories, I believe, can be remembered a lot easier than a paragraph in a
textbook. I think back to my own woodwork teacher who seemed to have a new story
every time we walked through the door into his classroom. The two forest boys: one
who cut down all around and ate mighty for a summer, the other who took what he
needed and paid it back to the forest, who ate well until he fell. We, the students, sat
to think “why?”

We can see that education is preparedness for life but it was John Dewey in 1897 who
furthered this by saying “Education is not preparation for life but life itself”(p77 –
80). I noticed something similar to this when I was on School Placement 2. The class
were lining up to use the router table and when it was this one student’s turn to use it
he looked to the teacher to ask how he turned it on, never having used a router before.
The teacher did not answer his question but instead insisted that the student “figure it
out”. The student awkwardly looked at the strange machine before looking back to the
teacher, but still he refused to answer. “Have a good look around” He told the student,
who this time looked about the machine and quickly found a big green button on the
side. If students can’t find answers that are painfully obvious, how can we expect
them to ask questions that are world-changing? If education is life itself then we must
allow students to live for themselves.

Psychology of Education
I have studied a number of psychologists of education. Among them are B.F. Skinner
and Albert Bandura, who I will be discussing in this section.

Bandura was born in Canada in 1925. He is the originator of social-cognitive theory

and is best known for his modelling study on aggression with his “Bobo doll”
CA1 ACADEMIC ESSAY EDUCATION STUDIES

demonstrating that children can learn behaviours through observing adults. In 1946 he
graduated high school and later graduated from the university of British Columbia
with a Bolocan Award, given to the most outstanding student in psychology. He
received a master’s degree in psychology and then a doctorate in clinical psychology.
In1953 Bandura accept a one year instructorship at Stanford University where he then
secured a professorship. He received numerous promotions and awards for his work
in the field and in 2010 he became professor emeritus. [ CITATION Jen20 \l 6153 ]

His Social Learning Theory is of particular interest to this essay. It states that people
learn through observing other people’s behaviour, attitudes and outcomes to those
behaviours[ CITATION Raz12 \l 6153 ]. Through observing other people, an idea is
formed of how new behaviours are performed and on later occasions this coded
information serves as a guide for action. In line with this, we can see that one’s
attitude can affect that of those around them. If a teacher were to show passion,
energy, and love for a subject then that behaviour may be witnessed and reproduced
by the students of the class. Furthermore, if we wanted to follow Bandura’s theory
elsewhere then we can permit students to gather around the front desk and watch the
demonstration of a skill. Social Learning Theory tells us that Attention, retention,
reproduction and motivation are necessary for effective modelling. These demos may
set the scene for the behaviour to be reproduced. This theory can be used elsewhere in
the woodwork classroom also. For instance, the first three quarters of the class could
be reserved for peer learning. This would mean that the teacher would not answer any
questions that another student may know, leading the students to talk to their peers to
resolve problems and questions. The students must observe each other. Then in the
final quarter the teacher would answer any unresolved questions in case no answer
was obtained.

Burrhus Frederic Skinner was born in March 1904 in Pennsylvania, America to a

lawyer father and a mother who stayed at home. From an early age he showed an
interest in building different contraptions. Despite graduating as a writer from
Hamilton College, Skinner decided to pursue a new direction in life by enrolling in
Harvard University to study psychology. He was of great value and influence to the
world of psychology, shown in his awarded degrees from Hamilton College, McGill
CA1 ACADEMIC ESSAY EDUCATION STUDIES

University, University of Chicago and finally Ohio Wesleyan University [CITATION

Wil01 \l 6153 ] His theory of Operant Conditioning proposed that behaviour is a
function of its consequences, i.e. positive behaviour should be met with positive
reinforcement. He suggests that this would increase the likelihood of that behaviour
occurring again. He notes a danger with this theory: If used too sparingly then it may
seem insincere and not have the desired effect. Accompanying this is the use of
negative reinforcement. Despite some misconceptions, this, similar to positive
reinforcement, is still a reward for good behaviour. This time a negative stimulus is
removed, like a student not having to do homework. Punishment is defined as either
the removal of a positive reinforcer or the presentation of a negative reinforcer
[ CITATION Hol05 \l 6153 ]

Positive reinforcement can be implemented in many ways in a graphics classroom.

There are some obvious ways like giving sweets in return for a right answer, or a
“relax class tomorrow if you all work hard in this one” but there can be subtle ways of
using it too. For instance, if a student has completed the work early then the teacher
can show their work to the rest of the class as what it is supposed to look like. This
lets that student know that their work was ideal and of value to the teacher.
Punishment, though should be used sparingly, can be used in Wood Technology
towards a rowdy student in the form of not letting them use the machinery for a
certain amount of time. Afterwards, when the moment arises for them to produce an
undesired behaviour they may decide otherwise. This theory may help us achieve the
Junior Cert Key Skill of “staying well” (NCCA). The students must feel a positivity
for learning and as a teacher it is our duty to aid this aim. We can provide a positive
environment where a student can feel welcomed, included, and valued.

Conclusion
The aim of this essay was to develop my philosophy of education through the study of
educational philosophers and their theories and how those theories can be applied to
the technical classroom.

Through Bandura’s Social Learning Theory we can enhance our educating by

emitting a positive attitude to the classroom as a whole and to each student
CA1 ACADEMIC ESSAY EDUCATION STUDIES

individually. This may reflect on how the students see the subject, classroom, and
themselves. We can conduct classroom demonstrations where the students display
Attention, retention, reproduction and motivation.
We can implement a peer-learning based classroom where students ask each
other for assistance rather than asking the teacher. This is in line with Social Learning
Theory but may also help the class society grow.

Skinner’s Operant Conditioning can be achieved in the classroom by giving rewards

after a positive behaviour is shown by the class or student.
Using a student’s work as a model for the rest of the class shows to that student that
their work is valued and may likely push that student to achieve that high standard
again. It may also encourage the other students to aim for that same high standard. We
can encourage the students to be positive in the class if we, the teacher, show
positivity also. We can provide an environment that is positive where students feel
welcomed, included, and valued.

This essay has acted for me as a way to express my thoughts towards philosophy of
education and its application to teaching. We bring forward the old stories of the past
that have been handed from generation to generation, these stories and their lessons
help us move further than those before us, allow us to understand who we are, where
we are and why we are. The psychologists of yesteryear, to me, are not very different.
With their stories we not only learn, but we learn to teach so that those in front of us
learn the way we used to, without even knowing it.

List of References
Cambridge-Dictionary. (1995). The Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Cambridge, England:
Cambridge University Press.

ColorinColorado. (2020, October 12). Glossary. Retrieved from ColorinColorado:

https://www.colorincolorado.org/ell-basics/ell-glossary#glossary-t

Dewey, J. (1897). My pedagogic creed. School Journal, pp. 77 - 80.

CA1 ACADEMIC ESSAY EDUCATION STUDIES

Dilek Belet, Sibel Dala. (2011). The use of storytelling to develop the primary school students’ critical
reading skill: the primary education pre-service teachers’ opinions. Turkey: Anadolu
University.

Holth, P. (2005). Two Definitions of Punishment. The Behavior Analyst Today , 43.

Jennifer L. Marshall, Allison Hutchinson. (2020, October 19). Albert Bandura. Retrieved from MS Troy
University Panama City:
https://www.assessmentpsychologyboard.org/edp/pdf/Albert_Bandura.pdf

Nabavi, R. T. (2011-2012). Bandura’s Social Learning Theory & Social Cognitive Learning Theory.
Theories of Developmental Psychology, 5.

Noddings, N. (2007). Philosophy of Education. Colorado: Westview Press.

William O'Donohue, Kyle Ferguson. (2001). The Psychology of B.F. Skinner. London: Sage
Publications.

NCCA, (2012), Key Skills of Junior Cycle, https://www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/def48e3f-68f9-

42e4-95de-f30086321fd0/JSEC_Key_Skills_of-JC_English).pdf

Noddings, Nel (1995). Philosophy of Education. Boulder, CO: Westview Press